The Archives of Ontario is the largest provincial archives in Canada, and a premier source of information about the history of the land we now call Ontario and its people. Since 1903, they have been collecting, preserving and making available the documentary heritage of the province, with records that date back to the 16th century. Their collections include everything from handwritten letters to books, maps, architectural drawings, photographs, artwork, films, sound recordings, electronic documents and more. During Digital Doors Open, visit their website and YouTube channel. Search and discover images and moving images from their collections, the Government of Ontario Art Collection (peek inside the art vault in the video below), and extensive genealogical records, including births, marriages and deaths. Browse and enjoy the stories found in their collections by exploring the many online exhibits – from Black history and French Ontario, to the War of 1812 and the First World War, to toys from our past and an Eaton’s Christmas. Learn about and use the excellent and extensive resources for educators and students. (Building photo: David Tyler)

Tell us your story about this site

The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) is one of the largest galleries in North America. With nearly 95,000 pieces in its collections – from European masterpieces to modern art to an extensive Group of Seven collection – the AGO presents wide-ranging exhibits and programs, showcasing diverse and underrepresented artists from Canada and around the world. While the AGO is open once more, there remain a number of intriguing programs and activities that can be done outdoors or online. As part of Digital Doors Open, discover your inner artist: learn to draw, become a better photographer, paint alongside your kids, or sketch at the Toronto Zoo (part of the AGO Makes program). Download some colouring cards. Check out their art-making videos. Explore their online collections. Or discover their extensive teacher resources. There’s something for everyone at the AGO!

Tell us your story about this site

The Ashbridge family was one of the founding families of Toronto (formerly York); they immigrated to York from Pennsylvania in 1793. They are also the only Toronto family to occupy their land continuously for 200 years. Two acres of the original homestead and an 1854 house have been preserved to tell their story. The Ashbridge Estate, owned by the Ontario Heritage Trust, is architecturally significant for the house’s simple Regency design with neoclassical elements. The grounds are also home to an urban farm, planted and cared for by Building Roots. As part of Digital Doors Open, explore this intriguing site through the video below.

Tell us your story about this site

A merging of 19th- and 21st-century architecture, the Daniels Building conveys a narrative that parallels the history of the city itself. Situated in a large roundabout, the circular site was originally constructed as a garden with views to Lake Ontario. The original neo-Gothic building was the first home of Knox College, a Presbyterian theological school. Later, it served as a military hospital during the First World War, the home of Connaught Laboratories, and an auxiliary and servicing facility for the University of Toronto. To create the new John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design, the historical building was pared back to its roots, restoring original details. The contemporary addition integrates active, creative spaces, iconically represented by the design studio, with its soaring bow-tie truss ceiling and clerestory windows. The Main Hall boasts fins and stripes in charged colours that surprise and delight. As part of Digital Doors Open, check out the video below or consult their YouTube playlists to learn more.

Tell us your story about this site

Come and take a closer look at the historical Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre – the last operating double-decker theatre facility in the world. These stacked Vaudevillian-era theatres were saved from demolition in 1981 by the Ontario Heritage Trust. As part of Digital Doors Open, take a virtual tour inside this theatre complex. Enjoy some videos from past performers. And learn about the history of this remarkable place through the video below.

Tell us your story about this site

Enoch Turner Schoolhouse, Toronto’s oldest school still standing, is today a public museum and conference and special events venue. The original one-room school was established in 1849 by Enoch Turner (1792-1866), a wealthy brewer and philanthropist, to educate the children in the poor neighbourhood surrounding his brewery. Because many of the area's immigrant families were from County Cork in Ireland, the neighbourhood became known as Corktown – a nickname that it still carries today. From the 1860s to the 1960s, the schoolhouse served as the parish hall and Sunday school for the neighbouring Little Trinity Anglican Church. But, by the late 1960s, the building had fallen into disrepair. To protect the building and to raise funds for its restoration, the Enoch Turner Schoolhouse Foundation was established in 1971. They continue to this day – along with the Ontario Heritage Trust – to showcase the site through events, museum activities, school groups and more, to build awareness and raise money for the site. As part of Digital Doors Open, Enoch Turner Schoolhouse offers a virtual tour of the site, including the original classroom. Or learn more about this site through the video below.

Tell us your story about this site

The former home of Canadian landscape painter Doris McCarthy (1910-2010) is a one-storey wood-frame cottage – on the spectacular Scarborough Bluffs (take an aerial tour of the Bluffs, and check out some of her artwork in the collections of the Wynick/Tuck Gallery and the Mountain Galleries). McCarthy donated this property to the Ontario Heritage Trust in 1998 to conserve its scenic, esthetic, natural and cultural values, with the wish that it would become an artist-in-residence centre and venue for heritage activities following her death. Explore the site through this virtual tour. Since the Doris McCarthy Artist-in-Residence Program launched in 2014, over 30 artists have completed residencies here. Meet one of the artists below.

Tell us your story about this site

George Brown House is historically significant for its association with Father of Confederation, Globe newspaper founder and leading abolitionist George Brown (1818-80). In 1989, the Ontario Heritage Trust restored the building to its original state. Highlights include the art nouveau dining room, gracious front hall and Brown’s library. The site is often featured on the CBC television show "Murdoch Mysteries." For Digital Doors Open, take a virtual tour of this restored mansion. Or watch a biopic on the history of Confederation to understand the critical role that Brown had in shaping Canada.

Tell us your story about this site

A popular addition to the architectural renewal of the University of Toronto’s downtown campus, the Isabel Bader Theatre has become a staple of the city’s film festival circuit, while serving as a lecture hall and learning space for student groups. It is an outstanding venue for concerts, theatrical productions, conferences and filming events. It’s busy schedule keeps the 500-seat theatre occupied throughout much of the academic year. It is also, however, in high demand by external clients. As part of Digital Doors Open, explore this theatre space through the video below.

Tell us your story about this site

The Lieutenant Governor's Suite comprises several state rooms and offices inside the northwest wing of the Legislative Building at Toronto’s Queen’s Park. It is the working office of the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, currently the Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell. It is the venue of many significant constitutional events, such as the appointment and resignation of Premiers of Ontario, the swearing-in of cabinet ministers, and the granting of Royal Assent for bills passed by the Legislature. Her Honour hosts foreign heads of state and government, diplomatic and consular representatives, and distinguished visitors in the Suite; it is also a place to host community groups for awards ceremonies, receptions and meetings. During Digital Doors Open, as you learn about the role of the Lieutenant Governor through the above links, enjoy a virtual tour of the Suite in the video below.

Tell us your story about this site

Myseum is Toronto’s museum, complete with engaging programs and experiences that showcase the history, spaces, culture(s), architecture and the people that represent Toronto’s unique place in the world. Myseum is ideally suited to Digital Doors Open because it doesn’t exist in just one place, but in all places throughout the city. Check out their ever-changing events, their unique Quarantine Edition exhibit called Images of Resistance: An Archive of Action, as well as their many online tours – interactive experiences that you can enjoy from the comfort and safety of your home or in the palm of your hand. Tours include Brought in Bondage, Women of the Ward, the Evergreen Brickworks and a Movie Theatre Tour.

Tell us your story about this site

Take a virtual tour of the Ontario Heritage Centre, the head office of the Ontario Heritage Trust. Among the many interesting features of this building, constructed in 1909, are the two gallery spaces with mezzanines, oak-panelled oval board room, the restored manually operated elevator and period washrooms. This site, popular for meetings and weddings, has also been used in many television and film shoots, including Cinderella Man, Queer as Folk and Serendipity.

Tell us your story about this site

Opened in 1893, this impressive Romanesque revival building is the meeting place of Ontario’s Legislative Assembly. Laws are made for all Ontarians in the Chamber, beautifully decorated with hand-crafted carvings and murals. Designed by British-born architect Richard Waite, later additions and changes were made by two of the province’s most significant city builders – E.J. Lennox of Casa Loma fame and George Gouinlock who planned several original buildings on the Canadian National Exhibition grounds. As part of Digital Doors Open, take a virtual tour to explore this historical building. Register for a variety of free virtual programs and webinars. Or tune in to watch the legislature in action. The parliament building also houses the Lieutenant Governor’s Suite, a working office of the Crown’s representative in Ontario.

Tell us your story about this site

To mark Canada’s centennial, the Ontario Science Centre was built as one of the first interactive science museums in the world. Since it opened in 1969, the Science Centre has become a significant cultural attraction where visitors of all ages can learn through play. As part of Digital Doors Open, there is a lot to see and do at the Science Centre. Their Do it Yourself series will inspire your inner scientist – from games to experiments. Regular Facebook Live events connect you with Science Centre educators and hosts – learning about everything from snakes and bees to paper planes and outer space. And don’t forget to check out their Teacher Resources and Science at Home activities with easy-to-follow educational videos and downloadable resources and activities. This year, while they're working to reopen, let them bring the Science Centre to you!

Tell us your story about this site

The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) is an iconic site in the heart of Toronto. With 13 million artworks, cultural objects and natural history specimens in 40 gallery and exhibition spaces, the ROM showcases pieces from around the world and across the ages. The museum has now reopened (see their Visitor Policies for new guidelines or download a map in your preferred language), with exciting exhibitions currently open – Egyptian Mummies: Ancient Lives. New Discoveries, Winnie-the-Pooh: Exploring a Classic and The Cloth that Changed the World: India's Painted and Printed Cottons. The ROM also continues to offer an extensive ROM@Home series of videos and activities to keep you and your families engaged – like Teaching Indigenous Knowledge, Leeches and Evolution, Stone Tools from the Paleolithic, Fashion Research and the ROM Library, or making your own dinosaur eggs. The museum also features a roster of free Zoom talks with experts on diverse subjects.

Tell us your story about this site

Tell us your story about this site

The ArQuives was established to aid in the recovery and preservation of the histories of Canada’s LGBTQ2+ people. Founded in 1973, they have grown to become the largest archive of its kind in the world. Through these collections, you can learn about the history and the struggles faced by – and the resilience of – LGBTQ2+ people. For Digital Doors Open, learn about the kinds of artifacts found in the archives – and the people who collect and preserve them – through the video below. And search their online collections or explore their digital exhibits for more information.

Tell us your story about this site

Tommy Thompson Park, just minutes away from downtown Toronto, is a unique urban wilderness that offers some of the best bird watching in the city – with more than 300 species. The Leslie Street Spit – the land on which this park now stands – was entirely manmade, composed of landfill, concrete, bricks and rebar. Today, this 250-hectare park (617 acres) is operated by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority. It has become an oasis for walkers and cyclists, and remains the habitat of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and fish. As part of Digital Doors Open, download their birder’s checklist, read their research reports on breeding birds, explore the site through the video below, and watch the acclaimed documentary (from CBC’s The Nature of Things, 44:18).

Tell us your story about this site

The Toronto Railway Museum, located in the heart of the historical John Street Roundhouse, is a National Historic Site. The Roundhouse was constructed in 1929 by the Canadian Pacific Railway to house and repair its large fleet of passenger locomotives travelling through Union Station. It was an active industrial building – in use 24 hours a day, seven days a week – where steam locomotives were serviced around the clock. In its prime, the John Street locomotive facilities contained 43 structures and several miles of track and covered nearly 6.5 hectares (16 acres). Rail activity at the Roundhouse began to dwindle in 1960s when diesel locomotives began to replace steam, and it eventually closed in 1986. The western portion of the park closest to the Roundhouse features the original, fully restored and operational 37-metre (120-foot) long locomotive turntable. Immediately north of this is a carefully chosen collection of full-sized railway equipment, which now makes up part of the Toronto Railway Museum’s collection. The museum tells the stories of Toronto’s railways through static and interactive exhibits inside Stall 17, as well as by leading guided tours through the rolling stock and rail buildings in the collection (visit the website for details on in-person tours when it is once again safe to do so). For Digital Doors Open, explore this fascinating museum through its many online activities (puzzles, scavenger hunt, colouring pages and an audio guide), or learn more about the history of the site and of our railway heritage through their extensive YouTube collection.

Tell us your story about this site

The Toronto Zoo – Canada’s largest zoo, at 287 hectares (709 acres), with over 5,000 animals – has a mission to connect people, animals and conservation science to fight extinction. And that mission has never been more important. While the site was closed due to COVID-19, the Zoo quickly enhanced its online engagement to remain connected with the public. Social media and online storytelling grew significantly, with animal photos and videos keeping everyone connected to their favourite animals. Now safely reopened (see the video below for more information), the Zoo has implemented strict new guidelines – including designated one-way routes, hand-sanitizing stations, mandatory face coverings in most areas, and mandatory advanced ticketing with pre-booked time slots required. Should you visit, check out the new Scenic Safari Drive Thru, Camping at the Zoo, the Wild Encounters behind-the-scenes program, and the return of the successful Terra Lumina: An Enchanted Night Walk. But you can also still enjoy a rich digital experience at the Zoo, including lots of home activities, a new downloadable map, educator resources, Wild for Life podcasts and much more! Don’t forget to join them on Facebook Live at 1 p.m. daily when one of the zoo’s expert keepers will introduce you to one of the animals. Check the website for full details.

Tell us your story about this site